Demonstrating the Impact of CPU Scheduling on Power Consumption in Virtualized Open RAN

Open RAN (Open Radio Access Network) is a next- generation wireless network gaining significant research interest globally due to its potential to provide a cost-efficient and scalable solution for growing network demands. Energy efficiency is an important area of focus in Open RAN deployments, as reducing power consumption while maintaining network performance is essential for sustainable wireless communication. This paper demonstrates the impact of CPU (Central Processing Unit) scheduling process priorities on power consumption and network performance in an Open RAN NodeB deployed on a testbed in the USA. The experimental results are demonstrated using two scenarios: (1) CPU Priority-Based Scheduling, where specific CPU process priorities are assigned to improve throughput while maintaining power efficiency, highlighting the importance of priority selection for optimizing performance. (2) CPU Affinity- Based Scheduling, where CPU affinity is assigned to specific cores to enhance resource utilization, leading to improved performance and efficient power consumption in a virtualized Open RAN setup. This demonstration of CPU priority-based resource tuning in virtual Open RAN provides valuable insights into CPU optimization strategies that can contribute to the development of energy-efficient and sustainable next-generation wireless net- works.